Eat your multicultural spinach. That’s the unfortunate – and often erroneous – vibration that seems to be transmitted by Black History Month TV specials each year.

Now it’s time to celebrate and have some fun. Time to pay tribute to everyone from Fred Sanford to Oprah Winfrey and everything from “Roots” to “Sooooooul Train”; the African-American personalities and shows that broke through, crossed over, made us laugh or gave us a jolt of recognition about the human condition.

Is it all sunshine and lollipops? Of course not.

Sitcoms with a uniquely black perspective have largely disappeared from the major networks during the past decade and migrated to smaller networks like WB and UPN. And for some perverse reason, network TV still hasn’t created a successful black family drama.

Still, here are 10 black TV events worth celebrating:

“Roots” (ABC, 1977). The sweeping, anguished and ultimately joyous epic of Alex Haley’s slave ancestors – beginning with Levar Burton’s Kunta Kinte – mesmerized a nation when it premiered in January 1977. It remains the signature American television event of the past 30 years.

“The Cosby Show” (NBC, 1984-1992). The sitcom was dead. Then along came Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable and family. Bill Cosby redefined the family sitcom with a humor that was universal but also glowed with an African-American spirit.

“In Living Color” (Fox, 1990-94). The groundbreaking sketch comedy – the wickedly creative vision of writer-producer-performer Keenen Ivory Wayans – infused primetime with a new kind of urban chucklehead kick while introducing such future superstars as Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey. And oh, yeah, J.Lo was a Fly Girl!

“Chappelle’s Show” (Comedy Central, 2003-2005). If “In Living Color” was TV’s first black sketch comedy, Dave Chappelle took the form to a whole new level with his own brilliantly subversive twist on the genre.

“The Jeffersons” (CBS 1975-85). Movin’ on up. Irascible George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) started out as a next-door neighbor to irascible Archie Bunker on “All in the Family.” But cantankerous George and his sensible, low-key wife, Louise (Isabel Sanford), grabbed the spotlight in a hugely successful spinoff.

“The Flip Wilson Show” (NBC, 1970-74). America flipped over Flip Wilson, the first African-American to score a major-stardom membership card as the host of his own variety show. His signature catchphrase? “The devil made me do it!”

“Frank’s Place” (CBS, 1987-88). Cult favorite. Tim Reid (“WKRP in Cincinnati”) starred in the sly, offbeat story of Frank Parrish, a history professor in Boston who inherits a small Creole restaurant in New Orleans. Subtle, no laugh track, emotionally wise, totally unlike anything else on TV at the time.

“The Richard Pryor Show” (NBC, September-October, 1977). The revolution was televised. Unfortunately, it was also censored and lasted only a month. Say it loud: Pryor was black, proud and a comic genius.